I guess my main question is, are conservatives actually this stupid, and fail to understand how having a socialized health care system is cheaper in the long run, or has it really boiled down to partisanship, and they don't vote for it, simply because they hate all the people that will vote for it.

I mean, in Canada, the fraction of a penny I pay in taxes for helping other Canadians out is fine by me, because, even if I wasn't trying to be altruistic about it, it would still be in my best interest to help out others, all the time, because the guy who can afford his health care will probably not end up a criminal and possibly steal my shit. That's kind of a big stretch but, really, its not that illogical, is it?

That seems to be the main argument I hear from the republicans, that they cannot see how it's their responsibility to pay for the health of someone else. Is anyone else confused by how a minimal investment in someone elses' welfare will pay off, even if its for selfish reasons?

Among the core beliefs of the Republican party are the idea that taxes are bad, no matter what they're used for, and that the government should rarely be involved in anything, which is mostly just an extrapolation of the first bit.

Beyond that, there's the idea that if there is a government program that is helping people with something, said program is doomed to be abused by people, and thus should never be attempted. You take a complete lack of faith in other people, add in the belief that everyone should just fend for themselves, and you've got a fair idea of what's going through the heads of a lot of modern conservatives.

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Dr. Boogie: Everything is so simple when you have a rocket launcher for an arm!